Calf weaner



E. GOMMELS Feb. 24, 1942.

GALE WEANER Filed May 20, 1940 Inventor EI-rnEr'- Emrnrne Patented Feb. 24, 1942 CALF WEANER Elmer Gommcls, Manson, Iowa, assignor to Allover Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis.

Application May 20, 1940, Serial No. 336,208

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-132) This invention pertains to calf weaners, and has primarily for its object to provide an exceedingly light, compact, and relatively inexpensive weaner, capable of secure attachment through the septum or cartilage of the calfs nose, and designed to irritate a cow when the calf attempts to suckle her, to the extent that the cow will repel the calf and prevent the same.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a calf weaner consisting of a conventional nose ring having a semicircular plate secured thereto at substantially a right-angle to. the plane of the ring, and provided at its upper edge with projections to irritate another animal contacted by the same, and yet. afford no interference to normal pasture feeding.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of a bull ring for insertion through the septum or cartilage of the nose of a calf, with means for holding the ring in a closed position against displacement from the septum, and means on the lower end of the ring for engaging a cow's udder to prevent the nursing of the calf.

A still further important object of my invention is the provision of means on the ring located beyond the penetrating prongs of the weaner for preventing rotation of the ring in the calfs nose, and engaging of the prongs in the nose, whereby tearing of the nostrils of the calf will be prevented.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a front, elevational view of my novel calf weaner, showing the same in operative position on the nose of a calf.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved calf weaner, looking from the bottom thereof.

Figure 3 is a front, elevational View of the weaner, showing the ring part thereof in its open position for insertion through the septum of the calfs nose.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 through the ring, illustrating means for detachably locking the ring sections against accidental opening movement.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail, transverse, sectional view through the calf weaner, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure -3 looking in the direction of the arcuate plate carrying the prongs to the ring.

Figure 6 is a detail, sectional view similar to Figure 5, but showing aslightly modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, the letter W generally indicates my novel calf weaner, and the same includes a ring II], which canbe the same as, or constructed similarly to, a bull ring now on the market. As shown in Figure ,3, the ring In includes companion semicircular sections I l and I2, which are hingedly connected at one end by means of a pivot pin l3. The free end of one section I2 is provided with a narrow penetrating knife I 4, and this pointed, penetrating knife I4 is adapted to be received within a socket l5 formed in the free end of the ring section I l. 7

In use of bull rings of this type, the ring is spread open as shown in Figure 3, after which the penetrating pointed knife I4 is forced through the nose of the animal, after which the ring sections are swung to a closed position with the pointed, penetrating knife l4 positioned in the socket I5. Accidental opening movement of the ring is prevented by the use of a removable screw l6, which is adapted to pass through the penetrating knife I4 and the walls of the socket I5.

This ring can be formed from relatively light but strong material, and in accordance with my present invention, I securely attach thereto an arcuate plate I! formed from rigid, nontarnishable metal of the desired gauge, such as stainless the arrows, illustrating one means for attaching steel. The plate I! is laid against the outer periphery of the section I l of the ring, and the plate terminates slightly short of the ends of the section I I. As is clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the plate extends outwardly at right angles to the ring, and is firmly attached thereto in any suitable manner, such as by the use of rivets I8.

The plate can extend a material distance beyond the ring, and the outer edge of theplate is serrated to form a plurality of intermediate saw-tooth shaped prongs l9, and outwardly flaring end pointed prongs 20. If preferred, the prongs can extend in different angular positions relative to one another, and by referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the two intermediate prongs |9 extend straight outwardly from the body of the plate, while the other prongs are bent slightly downwardly at an angle to the plate. The ring hangs in the calfs nose with the plate lowermost, and obviously when the calf endeavors to nurse the cow, the prongs will sting the cows udder, and the prongs will prevent nursing of the calf.

As the ring and plate are of a light construction, no discomfort will be caused the calf, and the calfs nose will not be distended or otherwise distorted out of shape by a heavy object depending therefrom. The device is also of such a nature that the calf can feed in a normal manner.

During the continued use of the weaner, the ring might tend to turn and slide in the cartilage of nose, and in order to eliminate the turning movement of the ring, and in order to prevent the catching of the end prongs or barbs 20 and the tearing of the calfs nose, I provide blunt guard fingers 2| on the ends of the plate. These blunt guard fingers are spaced from the end barbs or prongs 20, and extend inwardly toward one end at an angle to the body of the plate ll. Hence, should the ring tend to turn in the calfs nose, the guide fingers will strike the nose and limit the turning movement of the ring, and effectively prevent the catching of th prongs or barbs in the calfs nose.

I lay great stress on the combination of my plate with the ring, as I am enabled to use a light, conventional bull ring, which has been found to be best suited for stock animals. With my device, after the calf is weaned, the ring can be readily removed from the calfs nose, and thus the weaner can be sterilized and used again on another calf.

Likewise, by the use of my device the accidental displacement of the weaner, or loss of the same from the calfs nose, is prevented, and thus the danger of the animals stamping on the prongs of the calf weaner is eliminated.

While I prefer to use the arcuate plate I! shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, I can eliminate the same, if such should be desired, and substitute therefor individual spurs 25. This is clearly shown in Figure 6, and the spurs 25 can be secured to the ring in any suitable manner. As illustrated in Figure 6, the inner ends of the spurs are threaded into sockets in the ring.

Changes in details may be made, but what I claim as new is:

1. A calf weaner comprising, a nose ring adapted to be opened for insertion through the septum of a calfs nose and closed to prevent loss of the ring, an arcuate plate rigidly secured to the ring at the lower end thereof and projecting forwardly from the ring and substantially at right angles thereto, and penetrating prongs formed on the outer edge of said plate.

2. A calf weaner comprising, a nose ring adapted to be opened for insertion through the septum of a calfs nose and closed to prevent loss of the ring, an arcuate plate rigidly secured to the ring at the lower end thereof and projecting forwardly from the ring at substantially right angles thereto, and penetrating prongs formed on the outer edge of said plate, certain of said prongs extending outwardly and downwardly at a different angular position relative to th other prongs.

3. A calf weaner comprising, a ring for insertion through the septum of a calfs nose, an arcuate plate secured to the outer periphery of the ring at the lower portion thereof, outwardly extending penetrating prongs formed on the front edge of the plate, and angularly extending blunt guard fingers formed on the ends of the plate beyond the prongs whereby to prevent the engagement of the prongs with the calfs nose due to inadvertent turning of the ring in the calfs nose.

ELMER GOMMELS. 

